2014 promises to be a huge year for the world’s theme parks. In Florida, Universal Orlando will open the eagerly-anticipated Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, while Walt Disney World will finally complete the New Fantasyland expansion at the Magic Kingdom. Elsewhere in North America, Six Flags will open new attractions at every single one of its parks, while Cedar Fair will experiment with a new kind of dark ride at Canada’s Wonderland.
There’s excitement in Europe, too, where Disneyland Paris will open a major new attraction – one that is completely original to the resort. Europa Park will add a new area featuring a prototype roller coaster, and Sweden’s Liseberg will open an enormous new coaster, too. Italy will welcome an entire new ambitious movie studio-themed park.
The industry is growing fast in Asia, and China’s parks will continue to expand with a host of new rides. In Japan, excitement will be focused on Universal Studios Japan’s clone of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
To give you an idea of the breadth of new rides that will be on offer this year, let’s take a look at 50 new theme park attractions that will debut in 2014! And remember…even this lengthy list is not exhaustive.
50. 10 Inversion Coaster (Cinecittà World, Italy)
Originally due to open in 2011, then postponed several times, Cinecittà World is finally due to open in 2014. It will feature rides and shows inspired by Cinecittà Studios movies and television shows, and will be located just outside of Rome. One of the headline rides will be a clone of Thorpe Park’s 10-inversion roller coaster Colossus, complete with some impressive spaceship theming.
49. Angry Birds Dodgems (Thorpe Park, UK)
Thorpe Park will open a new land themed around the Angry Birds mobile game for the 2014 season. This will feature a dodgems ride with cars themed around Red Bird and the Bad Piggies.
48. Pipe Scream (Cedar Point, USA)
One of two new additions to the Gemini Midway for the 2014 season, Pipe Scream will be a Zamperla Disk’O Coaster.
It will see riders seated on a rectangular gondola, which will race up and down an undulating, coaster-style track, spinning as it goes. A “camelback” hill creates a floating sensation in the centre of the ride’s circuit.
47. Lake Erie Eagles (Cedar Point, USA)
Another new addition to the Gemini Midway for the 2014 season, Lake Erie Eagles will be a flying scooters attraction similar to those of days gone by. It will feature eight glider-style vehicles that rotate around a central tower, with riders able to control the height of their individual eagle.
46. Victorian Carousel (Paultons Park, UK)
Paultons Park will install an old-fashioned Victorian Carousel close to the Viking Boats Ride for the start of the 2014 season. It promises that “the magical, hand-crafted Carousel will transport guests back in time to enjoy the most iconic fairground ride of all, set in a beautiful period-themed garden.”
45. Scorpion Express (Chessington World of Adventures, UK)
John Wardley’s famous Runaway Train roller coaster will receive a makeover for the 2014 season, re-emerging as Scorpion Express. The Mexicana Area of the park will be renamed as “Scorpion Valley”, with the coaster being set within “a land of sweeping sands and gold mines”.
44. Cocoa Cruiser (Hersheypark, USA)
Cocoa Cruiser, a small family roller coaster, will join Hersheypark’s line-up in 2014. The park promises that the steel coaster will “allow our younger guests to experience the thrill of a coaster for the first time.”
The park will also add a Tea Cups attraction and the child-friendly Happy Swing for the new season.
43. Magic Mouse (Pleasurewood Hills, UK)
One of the most popular attractions at Pleasurewood Hills during the early 2000s was the spinning Magic Mouse roller coaster. The park has been teasing its return in 2014, with the Twitter hashtag “#mouseisback”.
In reality, the former Wild Mouse coaster from Flamingo Land is on its way to the park. It doesn’t spin, but does feature a number of hairpin turns.
42. Camp Snoopy expansion (Knott’s Berry Farm, USA)
Knott’s Berry Farm will add 3 new rides to its Camp Snoopy area for the 2014 season. The first, Charlie Brown’s Kite Flyer, will invite campers to “fly a kite” with Charlie Brown and soar above Camp Snoopy’s winding paths and babbling streams. The second, Pig Pen’s Mud Buggies, lets kids climb aboard their very own all-terrain vehicle for an adventurous ride around the High Sierras. The final new addition, Linus Launcher recreates that classic Peanut’s moment when Snoopy grabs Linus’ blanket and launches him on a wild ride.
41. Legendary Dragon (Romon World, China)
China’s latest new theme park, Romon World, is expected to open in late 2014. One of its headline rides will be Legendary Dragon, a Premier Rides launched roller coaster.
40. Robin Hood 4D (Paultons Park, UK)
Paultons Park’s 4-D Cinema will screen Robin Hood 4D during 2014. The family adventure will follow Maid Marian as she falls for the reckless outlaw, and will boast moving chairs, wind, water and rumble effects.
39. Castaway Camp (LEGOLAND Windsor, UK)
Castaway Camp, a play area featuring a fortress and battle ships, will be the sole new addition to Pirate Shores, the renamed Pirates Landing area at LEGOLAND Windsor.
38. The Mayflower (Holiday World, USA)
Holiday World has confirmed that its new attraction for the 2014 season will be a swinging ship ride dubbed the Mayflower, to be hosted in the park’s Thanksgiving area.
The Mayflower will be situated next to The Voyage, the wooden roller coaster that regularly tops enthusiast polls. It will be named after the ship that transported 102 English Pilgrims to New England in 1620, in one of the most famous journeys in early American colonial history.
37.Ragin’ Cajun (Six Flags America, USA)
Six Flags America will introduce a new Mardi Gras-themed area for 2014. This will host Ragin’ Cajun, a spinning roller coaster. The attraction is moving to the park from the similarly-themed Mardi Gras area at Six Flags Great Amrica, and is manufactured by Zamperla and Reverchon Industries.
36. French Quarter Flyers (Six Flags America, USA)
Located close to Ragin Cajun’ will be French Quarter Flyers, a flying scooters-style flat ride. The ride will feature eight “flying” cars, each with a stationary rear wing and a movable front wing. Riders will pilot their car, travelling at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour.
35. Duplo Valley (LEGOLAND Florida, USA)
Expanding on the existing Duplo Village concept, LEGOLAND Florida’s toddler-friendly area will be rethemed to become Duplo Valley in time to reopen in spring 2014. Boasting an indoor play area and a water pla area, it will be similar in concept to Duploville Playland, which opened at sister park LEGOLAND Windsor earlier this year.
The main attraction in Duplo Valley will be the Duplo Train, which will pass through scenery themed around the countryside. Nearby, a miniature tractor ride will enable toddlers to try their hand at plowing fields and searching for missing farm animals. The existing Duplo Barn, meanwhile, will be updated to add new play areas and a room packed with Duplo bricks. The new water play area will also feature a farmyard theme, and will include water jets and interactive elements, all surrounded by oversized models of animals.
34. El Loco (Adventuredome, USA)
The Adventuredome indoor theme park at Las Vegas’ Circus Circus resort has installed its first major ride for a while: El Loco. Fittingly, given its location, the ride features cars that are capable of performing extremely sharp turns, allowing a number of elements to be packed into a relatively compact 1,300-foot circuit. This includes a 90-degree drop, a doughtnut roll and an inverted drop, all accompanied by an on-board music soundtrack.
33. SteelHawk (Worlds of Fun, USA)
Similar to the WindSeeker rides at several other Cedar Fair parks, SteelHawk will see guests swinging in circles around a central tower in a vertigo-inducing variation on the classic “Chair-O-Plane” attraction. Riders will reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour but will still have time to take in panoramic views of Worlds of Fun and beyond.
The ride previously operated Knott’s Berry Farm under the WindSeeker name.
32. New England SkyScreamer (Six Flags New England, USA)
Six Flags New England is planning to install the world’s tallest spinning tower ride for the 2014 season, with its version of SkyScreamer set to stand at some 400-feet-tall.
The new addition to the park will be near-identical to the SkyScreamers that have been installed at a number of Six Flags parks over the past two years, but will be significantly taller. It would also stand just two feet taller than the Funtime Star Flyer ride at Austria’s Prater Park, which is currently the tallest ride of its type.
Like other versions of the ride, Six Flags New England’s SkyScreamer will offer a vertigo-inducing variation on the traditional “Chair-O-Plane” ride experience. Guests will be seated in chairs that dangle from a circular gondola, which will spin as it rises to the top of the tower, offering views across the park and beyond.
31. The Dragon Zmey Gorynych (Sochi Park, Russia)
Sochi Park was due to open in time for the 2014 Winter Olympics, but failed to make that deadline. Some areas did welcome guests during the Games, but the major roller coasters were not among them. Now due to open in July, The Dragon Zmey Gorynych will be a 124-feet-tall Mack launch coaster.
30. Flying Over the Rainforest (Chime-Long Ocean Kingdom, China)
Bolliger & Mabillard’s Wing Rider coasters have already proven popular in Europe and America, and Chime-Long Ocean Kingdom will become home to the first example in Asia. Flying Over the Rainforest will be the longest yet, with a 4,193-foot circuit, and will also be the first to feature a splash down.
29. Twist Coaster Robin (Yomiuriland, Japan)
Yomiuriland will open an S&S El Loco coaster in 2014, dubbed Twist Coaster Robin. The 93-degree first drop will be followed by a barrel roll and a dive loop, with the ride’s circuit winding through a wooded landscape.
28. Sky Scream (Holiday Park, Germany)
Costing around €8 million, Holiday Park’s new Sky Scream roller coaster is due to open in April 2014. The Premier Rides launched coaster will be a clone of Superman: Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, featuring a 150-feet-tall inversion and hitting a top speed of 62 miles per hour. The measly capacity of 400 riders per hour is likely to lead to long queues, however.
27. Angry Birds 4D Experience (Thorpe Park, UK)
The headline attraction in Angry Birds Land will be the Angry Birds 4D Experience, which will use “high impact special effects” to bring the Angry Birds characters to life. It has been developed jointly by the game’s creators, Rovio, and 3D animation specialist 3DBA. Simworx, which has devised a number of similar 4D attractions, is developing the 4D theatre that will house the attraction.
26. Thunderbolt (Luna Park, USA)
Wooden coaster Thunderbolt operated on New York’s Coney Island seafront from 1925 to 1982. The newly-revived Luna Park will bring back the name for its new coaster for 2014, this time a steel creation from the park’s Italian operator (and ride manufacturer), Zamperla. The 125-feet-tall creation will hit a top speed of 65 miles per hour, with the main element being an enormous vertical loop.
25. Aqua Drager Racer (Wet ‘n Wild Orlando, USA)
At Universal Orlando’s water park, Wet ‘n Wild Orlando, a brand new set of water slides will enable riders to race each other to the bottom. Standing at 60 feet tall, Aqua Drag Racer will see guests plunging down a series of twists, turns and steep hills while lying on a foam mat. Four riders will race each other at a time, hitting a top speed of 15 feet per second. This has led Wet ‘n Wild to claim that its new addition will be the tallest and fastest slide of its kind in Florida.
Aqua Drag Racer will feature a clock at the bottom, allowing guests to see how fast they plummeted down it – and to declare a winner. The slide is being manufactured by Canadian specialist ProSlide, and will be a customized example of the firm’s KrakenRACER model.
24. Dante’s Inferno Dark Ride (Cinecittà World, Italy)
In the newly-built Cinecittà World’s line-up will be a “multi-motion dark ride” themed around Dante’s Inferno, complete with an entrace that warns “abandon all hope ye who enter here”. We know little about it, but we’re intrigued…
23. Air Race (Drayton Manor, UK)
Drayton Manor has revealed that it will add a Zamperla Air Race attraction for the 2014 season – making it the only theme park in the UK to add a thrill ride for the new season.
Air Race will take riders on a “stomach-churning aerial adventure”, turning them upside down at heights of up to eight metres. 24 riders will be accommodated in its six, four-seater aeroplanes, with “pilots” experiencing forces of almost 4G. The attraction is due to open in time for the school summer holidays, and will sit in the Action Park area of Drayton Manor alongside a host of other thrill rides.
22. Tsunami Soaker (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and Six Flags St. Louis, USA)
Six Flags St. Louis and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom will both open Tsunami Soaker, a Mack Twist ‘n’ Splash ride, in 2014 – combining a traditional spinning tea cup attraction with a “Splash Battle” ride.
21. Alpina Blitz (Nigloland, France)
Nigloland’s Swiss-themed area will be expanded in 2014 with the Alpine-themed Alpina Blitz, a steel Mack roller coaster. The park claims that it will stand at over 100-feet-tall, and will hit a top speed of 62 miles per hour
20. Lightning Run (Kentucky Kingdom, USA)
Several years after it was abandoned by Six Flags, Kentucky Kingdom is finally set to reopen in May 2014. It will do so with a selection of new rides (alongside many of the old ones), with Lightning Run being the headliner. The steel coaster, manufactured by Chance Rides, will stand at 100 feet tall, with an 80-degree first drop. The 2,500-foot track promises to include a series of banked turns and “airtime” elements.
19. CBeebies Land (Alton Towers, UK)
Following a deal with BBC Worldwide, a variety of kids’ favourites will be joining the line-up of Alton Towers’ new CBeebies Land area (which will replace the former Old MacDonald’s Farmyard). One of the headline attractions in CBeebies Land will be Postman Pat’s Parcel Post, which will be an updated version of Old MacDonald’s Tractor Ride. The tractors will be gone, replaced by miniature versions of Postman Pat’s iconic red van. These will travel around Greendale, the village where Pat lives with Jess the Cat.
18. Ihu’s Breakaway Falls (Aquatica Orlando, USA)
Something BIG is coming to SeaWorld Orlando’s Aquatica water park next season. Ihu’s Breakaway Falls will tower some 105 feet over the park, and is promised to be the steepest (and only) ride of its type in Orlando. The exact nature of the attraction is yet to be revealed, but we can deduce that it won’t be a standard body slide: Summit Plummet over at Disney’s Blizzard Beach stands at 120 feet tall, which would negate SeaWorld’s claim that its new addition is the “tallest ride of its kind” in the area.
The slides will be named after Ihu, Aquatica Orlando’s gecko, who it is claimed searches for the “biggest thrills, steepest hills and coolest spills in the water park”.
17. Extreme Supernova (The Great Escape, USA)
The Great Escape will open Extreme Supernova, a unique new flat ride. Suspended from an overhead axis, 16 riders will fly head over heels up to 50 feet in the air as land and sky become one through dual swinging and spinning motions. Once the outward facing riders are secured and the floor drops from below, Extreme Supernova will swing back and forth while guests are spun in endless circles delivering maximum G-Forces and high-flying sensations.
16. Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem (Universal Studios Hollywood, USA)
The shuttered Terminator 2: 3-D at Universal Studios Hollywood will be replaced by near-identical clone of Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem at Universal Studios Florida in 2014.
Based on the $540-million grossing Universal Pictures movie, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem is the first ride at any of Universal’s theme parks to be based on a Universal-produced animated movie. It replaced Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast at Universal Studios Florida, and reuses the previous attraction’s simulator-style ride system.
15. Once Upon A Time (Tokyo Disneyland, Japan)
A new nighttime extravaganza dubbed Once Upon a Time will be based around Tokyo Disneyland’s iconic Cinderella Castle. It is expected to borrow elements from the popular Disney Dreams show at Disneyland Paris, using projection mapping technology to display footage from classic Disney movies including Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland on the castle itself.
The plans for the 15-minute show appear to be lacking the spectacular water effects of Disney Dreams, but it will still cost some 2 billion yen ($20.5 million) to install. Once Upon a Time is due to debut in spring or summer 2014.
14. Flight of the Demons (Heide Park, Germany)
Heide Park will open Germany’s first Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider roller coaster in April 2014. The ride will be installed at a cost of €15 million.
The coaster’s trains will feature “wings” that protrude over the sides of the track. This enables the creation of “near-miss” experiences, and the ride is likely to interact with the surrounding scenery.
Flight of the Demons will feature a relatively short 2,532 feet circuit, but will pack in five inversions including an Immelmann loop, a zero-g roll and a pretzel loop. Riders will hit a top speed of 62 miles per hour, with the coaster’s lift hill standing at 131 feet tall.
13. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (Universal Studios Japan, Japan)
Universal Studios Japan will open its own version of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2014, complete with a clone of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Islands of Adventure. It’s not confirmed as yet, but it is believed that the ride will feature elements and effects that were not included in the original at Islands of Adventure.
12. Arthur – The Ride (Europa Park, Germany)
Image: Europa Park
Mack Rides is not just one the world’s leading ride manufacturers – it’s also the owner of Europa Park, Germany’s most popular theme park resort. No surprise, then, that it’s testing out its latest concept at the park in Rust. The Suspended Powered Coaster is a new evolution of a Mack classic, the powered coaster (seen in rides such as Alton Towers’ Runaway Mine Train). As the name suggests, the trains hang underneath the track, rather than on top of it, and are powered by motors rather than gravity.
Mack is billing the new system as ideal for hybrid roller coaster-dark rides, due to the ability to control the speed of the train. It’ll aim to prove that the Suspended Powered Coaster is ideal for this role by launching Arthur – The Ride, a new attraction based on Arthur and the Invisibles, at its home park in April 2014.
Riders on the new addition to Europa Park will be suspended beneath a steel track in one of nine, 12-person vehicles. The track will be relatively short at 1,800 feet, and guests are expected to pass through seven scenes after climbing up a spiral lift hill, many of them packed with audio-animatronic characters and 4-D effects.
11. Firechaser Express (Dollywood, USA)
Gerstlauer-manufacted roller coaster FireChaser Express will debut at Dollywood in 2014, boasting two launch sections – one forwards, and backwards.
The ride will feature a 2,427-foot circuit, stand at 79 feet tall and hit a top speed of 34.5 miles per hour. The first launch section on the mine train-style coaster will see riders fired from 0 to 16 miles per hour in 1.1 seconds, while the second will take them up to 20 miles per hour in 2 seconds. There will be six “airtime” hills, two helices and a “trick track” section in a ride that is squarely aimed at families.
The theme for the new coaster will be based around a major fire, with riders playing the role of “heroes” who have answered the call. Dollywood claims that guests as young as 4 years old will be able to experience the ride, billed as “the nation’s first dual launch family coaster”.
10. Falcon’s Fury (Busch Gardens Tampa, USA)
Busch Gardens Tampa’s skyscraping new addition will stand at some 335-feet-tall, and will plummet towards the ground at 60 miles per hour. The drop tower’s chief gimmick, though, will be that it twists guests by 90 degrees so that they are facing directly downwards before they freefall down to the bottom. Falcon’s Fury will become the tallest freestanding drop tower in North America when it opens.
Falcon’s Fury will be themed around the concept of diving towards the earth like a bird of prey. The ride will replace the former Sandstorm flat ride, which was recently removed from the park.
9. Banshee (Kings Island, USA)
Banshee will be the longest inverted roller coaster in the world at 4,124 feet. It will include seven inversions and, interestingly, will reach its top speed of 68 miles per hour in the middle of the ride’s course, not at the bottom of the 150 foot first drop.
The striking blue supports hold magenta track – fitting for the ride’s supernatural theme, and for its second calling card: being “the first female-inspired thrill ride at a Cedar Fair park.”
8. Goliath (Six Flags Great America, USA)
Six Flags Great America will receive a major new addition in 2014, with the park due to open Goliath, the world’s fastest wooden roller coaster.
Goliath will be manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, which was also behind the unique Outlaw Run at Silver Dollar City. The ride will stand at some 165 feet tall, and will feature a sharply-angled 45 degree lift hill. On reaching the top of this, riders will plummet down a 180 foot drop at an 85 degree angle into an underground tunnel, hitting a top speed of 72 miles per hour.
The remainder of the circuit includes a 180-degree zero-g roll, that emerges into a traditional vertical loop. Riders will then pass through a new element dubbed the “inverted zero-g stall”, which consists of a camelback-style hill and a 180-degree inversion, so that riders crest the hill in an upside-down position.
7. Wonder Mountain’s Guardian (Canada’s Wonderland, Canada)
Canada’s Wonderland will open a new 4D dark ride inside its iconic Wonder Mountain in 2014, in a move that could be indicative of a change of direction from owner Cedar Fair.
Wonder Mountain’s Guardian will be an interactive ride based on a 1,000-foot roller coaster-style track, and will be themed around a mythical creature that lives inside the mountain. Riders will first climb up the side of the mountain, before plummeting through its interior. The surrounding scenes are set to include a desolate forest, an underground lake and “Draconian City”. A final battle inside a dragon’s lair will be designed to “shock”.
Fittingly, Montreal-based Triotech has developed the technology behind Canada’s Wonderland’s new ride. Wonder Mountain’s Guardian will feature 3D effects overlaid with 4D elements such as wind and water tricks. RIders will be equipped with weapons boasting “the fastest, most-accurate target system”, with “real-time graphics” being employed to show the impact of their shooting. The world’s longest interactive screen will help to add to the immersive experience.
6. Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom (Six Flags Great Adventure, USA)
Six Flags Great Adventure will open a record-breaking new freefall drop tower in 2014, with Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom to be mounted to the Kingda Ka’s roller coaster’s tower.
The attraction will lift riders to some 415 feet in the air, before sending them plummeting back towards the ground below at 90 miles per hour. Three separate drop rides will be installed, each capable of holding up to 8 riders at a time. To increase capacity, the gondolas will be blasted to the top of the tower in just 30 seconds.
5. Hogwarts Express (Universal Orlando, USA)
Linking the existing Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure with the under-construction Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida, the Hogwarts Express will recreate the journey taken by Potter and his friends at the start and finish of every year at Hogwarts. It will actually travel through a backstage area between the two parks, but multimedia technology will be used to convince guests that they are journeying between London and Hogsmeade.
Initially, Universal envisaged the attraction as little more than a basic transportation link. But it quickly became clear that many fans were more excited about the Hogwarts Express than they are about the rest of Diagon Alley. Now, the Hogwarts Express will be a full multi-sensory experience, telling a story as well as getting guests from A to B.
Linking two lands with a shared theme in two entirely separate theme parks, the Hogwarts Express will be a truly unique attraction. In fact, it’s the only ride listed in our extensive database of 3,500 attractions that is listed as belonging to two parks!
4. Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy (Walt Disney Studios, Paris)
Walt Disney Studios’ Ratatouille dark ride, based on the 2007 Pixar film of the same name, will see guests “shrunk” down to the size of a rat. The ride will begin in Gusteau’s restaurant, before taking riders on a wild chase through key scenes from the movie. Disney will reuse the trackless ride system from Tokyo Disneyland’s Pooh’s Hunny Hunt attraction, which allows full 360 degree rotation of the ride cars.
The surrounding area is set to be themed around a Parisian courtyard. As well as several mock building façades, the area will also feature an elaborate fountain. Part of the ride building’s exterior is set to be themed as Gusteau’s restaurant from the movie, and the building is expected to house an actual restaurant in addition to the ride.
3. Helix (Liseberg, Sweden)
Sweden’s Liseberg will open an ambitious new coaster for the 2014 season. The Mack launch coaster will feature a staggeringly-long 4,500-foot circuit and a two-minute ride time, hitting a top speed of 62 miles per hour. Two launch sections and six inversions will add to the excitement.
2. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Disney’s Magic Kingdom, USA)
The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will take guests on a musical ride deep into a diamond mine. It will feature a first-of-its-kind ride system that will allow the vehicles to swing back and forth as they move along the twisting track, accompanied by tunes from the movie’s soundtrack.
The coaster will be manufactured by Vekoma (a favorite of Disney, responsible for nearly all of its modern steel roller coaster work) and will feature both indoor and outdoor sections. Disney has described the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as sitting somewhere between Barnstormer and Big Thunder Mountain in terms of thrills. With those rides reaching top speeds of 20mph and 30mph respectively, it’s unlikely that the new ride will rocket around its course – with the thrills more likely to come from the swinging action of the cars.
1. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (Universal Studios Florida, USA)
The headline attraction of the under-construction Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida will be a major new roller coaster themed around Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Harry’s first encounter with the bank is an innocent descent in its mine-cart-style conveyance in the first film; by the last, the out-of-control race through the vaults was accompanied by loops, waterfalls, and captive dragons – perfect material for a theme park ride.
So what will the Gringotts Bank roller coaster be like? Well, Universal hasn’t unveiled the details of what could be one of its most impressive rides yet. But we do know what Universal is working with: an increasingly impressive arsenal of technological innovation. After its outstanding and unparalleled foray into what can only be described as “4D motion-base dark-ride simulator” technology with 1999’s The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and the even-more-progressive Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, you can bet that a Gringotts roller coaster will not be a Space Mountain-style ride in the dark.
You can keep up to date with the latest confirmed and rumored opening dates for new attractions through Theme Park Tourist’s “New Attraction Watch” section, and by signing up for our weekly newsletter.
